THE ROLE OF SETTING INFORMATION IN CHILDRENS MEMORY RETRIEVAL

This study examined the role of setting information in the cued recall of 7- to 11-year-old children. Each of the four experiments had multi ple study-test trials with unique triplets of categorically related wa rds (Horse-Pig-Cow), category questions at acquisition, and two-word ( Horse-Pig) and one-word (Horse) retrieval cues that re-presented all o r only part of the intrinsic context reflecting stimulus classificatio n. Setting information about location was presented before the triplet events, and each experiment contained manipulations of place informat ion at acquisition and in cues at retrieval. The experiments in genera l showed that place information presented in both acquisition and retr ieval significantly facilitates children's use of one-word cues re-pre senting ''part'' of the intrinsic context in recalling event informati on. The results were consistent with an Orienting Hypothesis about the mechanism of the facilitation. The results suggest overall that setti ng information may play an important role in constraining children's i nterpretation of cues representing the intrinsic context of stimulus e ncoding. (C) 1997 Academic Press.